The July General Election and Employment Law

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a general election for the 4th of July. What are some of the changes that the main political parties are proposing to make to employment law?

Labour

• Removing qualifying periods for rights such as unfair dismissal, sick pay and parental leave to make them day-one rights.

• Removing the distinction between employees and workers to provide the same rights to both

• Raising the minimum wage to at least £10 an hour for all workers.

• Increase Statutory sick pay and remove the minimum wage requirement to receive it

• Extend statutory maternity and paternity leave

• Introduce a right to bereavement leave

• Anyone working regular hours under a zero-hour contract for 12 weeks or more will gain the right to a regular contract

Conservatives

• Continuing current agenda:

  • Neonatal care leave and pay

  • Reform of industrial action laws

  • Back to Work Plan - reform of fit notes

  • Reintroduction of employment tribunal fees

Liberal Democrats:

• Give all employers, including those that are self-employed, the day-one right to parental leave and pay.

  • Each parent would get six weeks of "use it or lose it" leave, with 46 additional weeks of parental leave to share between themselves as they choose. After the initial six weeks, parental pay would be £350 per week.

• Increase paternity pay to 90% of earnings, with a cap for high earners.

Whatever the general election results are, changes are coming to employment law that will affect your business. For further HR advice or guidance in relation to the topic above, get in touch with the Lansbury HR Consultants. We are here to support businesses nationally and locally in Burton-on-Trent, Swadlincote, and Derby.